Tongue-latch for wheel-plows



(No Model.)

R. NEWTON.

TONGUE LATOH FOR WHEEL PLOWS.

Patented Nov. 25, 1884.

.lllllllL WITNESSES;

N. PETERS. FhvlLrLilhngmphar. Washington, D. a

NITED STATES ROBERT NEWTON, OF JERSEYVILLE, ILLINOIS.

TONGUE-LATCH FOR WHEEL-PLQWS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,371, dated November 25, 1884.

Application filed July 30, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT NEWTON, of

J erseyville, in the county of Jersey and State .of Illinois, have invented a new and Im proved Tongue-Latch for Wheel-Flows; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to an improvement in tongue-latches for wheel-plows, the object of the same being to provide a latching or looking mechanism operated by the foot of the plowman, and adapted to secure the tongue at any required horizontal angle to the normal line of draft.

lVith this end in view my device consists of a liberating and locking mechanism of pecnliar construction, the details of which are fully explained in the following specification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which' Figure 1 is a side elevation of the latching mechanism shown in connection with the rear part of the tongue and the forward part of the plow-frame to which the tongue is attached. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; and Fig. 8 is a front view taken in the line 00 513, Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A represents one of 'the bars of the forward portion of the plow-frame; B, the foot-board; l), the tongue, pivoted at a to a knee-plate, b, which latter is bolted to the side of the frame-bar A. On the upper side of the tongue is secured the latch mechanism, consisting of a plate, 0, furnished with a footlever, d, t'ulcrumedat e, from the forward end of which depends a bolt or latch, g, adapted to slide vertically in a guide, t, provided for its reception in the plate 0, and a spiral spring, 71, secured upon a stud underneath the rear end of the lever d, for the purpose of exerting a constant upward pressure against the latter.

J is a tongue-guide secured by a knee-plate, k, Fig. 3, to the side of the frame-bar A, and

5 is preferably made of a plate of wrought-iron bent into the form shown, and adapted to support the tongue and allow it to have horizontal play about the pivot to to the extent of the included arc, the upper plate of said guide being provided with a series of equidistant holes, as shown, for the reception of the bolt or latch g, the end of which enters an aperture in an iron plate, Z, secured to the top side of the tongue.

The operation of my device is as follows: \Vhen the leadhorses reach the end of the field, the plowman depresseswith his foot the rear end of the lever d, and thus releases the tongue, which swings round horizontally as the lead-horses are turned to an angle with the plow, governed by the plowman, who, by simply lifting his foot from the lever of the latch, allows the latter to fall into that hole in the guide J which is under the tongue, when it is brought round to such a position as to allow the rear horses to be driven nearly up to the fence, thus leaving less land on plowed at the end of the field thanif the tongue were immovable horizontally.

To adjust the tongue for three horses instead of four, it is only necessary to bolt the knee-plates b and k on'the outside of the framebar A, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

Having fully described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a wheelplow, the combination, with the tongue D, of the latching or looking mechanism, consisting ofa plate, 0, foot lever (1, spring 11, bolt or latch 9, guide J, and reversible 'kneeplates b and 70, all of said parts constructed and combined for co-operation sub stantially asand for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of July, 1884. 7

ROBERT NEWTON.

Vitnesses:

O. HAMILTON, A. W. NEWTON. 

